Thinking of Surrogacy? Consider these 5 Factors

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicate that surrogacy cases increased from around 730 in 1,999 to about 3,435 in 2013. The couple’s inability to conceive may be due to past miscarriages, the age of the mother, hormonal conditions, among other causes. As opposed to the past where such a situation rendered the couple helpless, viable solutions such as surrogacy have been embraced over the past few years.
We discuss the 5 main factors you should consider if you are thinking of surrogacy:

Surrogacy agency or an independent candidate?
Both options are viable, however, first-time surrogates and parents could find the process extremely difficult and frustrating if they choose to work independently. The process is complicated, and incorrect handling could dramatically affect the outcome. Agencies have handled multiple surrogate cases, and therefore, they know the technicalities and legalities that surround them.

The type of surrogacy
There are two main types of surrogacy, that is, gestational and traditional surrogacy. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother is both the egg donor as well as the embryo’s surrogate. Through intrauterine insemination (IUI), the sperms from the biological father are transferred into the surrogate’s uterus to facilitate fertilization.
In gestational surrogacy, the embryo is formed by fertilizing the mother’s egg with the father’s sperms in a process known as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Once the fertilization is successful, the embryo is transferred to the surrogate’s uterus. This type of surrogacy is ideal for surrogates or parents that are wary of the emotions and legalities that surround traditional surrogacy.

The cost
Each surrogacy case is unique, thus the cost of the process varies from case to case. Apart from the surrogate mother cost, you will be incurring other costs charged by your surrogacy agency. Such could include legal fees, fertility clinic costs, and agency fees among other costs depending on which surrogacy type you choose. You will also incur legal fees along with surrogate mother cost even if you opt to have an independent surrogacy candidate.

Surrogacy laws
The potential parents should be aware of the surrogacy laws in their state. As such, choosing an agent that has a legal team that thoroughly understands the surrogacy laws and regulations in your jurisdiction is important.

Finally, apart from your surrogacy agency, you could require the services of an attorney or a counselor to walk you through the process. In most cases, the agency will refer you to the best attorney and therapist if they do not already have them in-house.